Red Sox second baseman Christian Arroyo and center fielder Kiki Hernandez collide while trying to catch a ball hit by Kansas City’s Hunter Dozier in the fifth inning Sunday in Kansas City, Mo. Arroyo was injured and had to leave the game. Colin E. Braley/Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jarrod Dyson capped a 10-pitch at-bat with a tie-breaking, two-run double in a three-run third inning off Nathan Eovaldi, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Boston Red Sox 7-3 on Sunday for their first series win in nearly three weeks.
“It was a good series win against a good team,” Royals Manager Mike Matheny said. “We are seeing a lot of components coming together.”
Mike Minor (6-4) allowed two runs and nine hits over 6 2/3 innings for the Royals, who had lost 12 of their previous 14 games.
Whit Merrifield got his 800th major league hit in the first inning and hit a two-run homer in the sixth against Yacksel Ríos.
Kansas City had not won a series since taking two games from Pittsburgh on May 31 and June 1.
Eovaldi (7-4) lost his second straight decision after winning four in a row. He gave up four runs – three earned – and seven hits in four innings.
Kansas City outhit Boston 15-11. The Red Sox stranded 10 runners and went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position as they lost for only the second time in their last six games.
“Offensively we just didn’t get the big hit,” Red Sox Manager Alex Cora said. “We started well but we just couldn’t get that big hit today.”
With Boston leading 2-0 on Kiké Hernández’s two-run homer on an 0-2 slider in the second, first baseman Bobby Dalbec allowed Michael A. Taylor’s two-out grounder to bounce off his glove for a run-scoring error in the bottom half.
Salvador Pérez tied the score with a third-inning single for his 47th RBI, and Dyson’s double to left put the Royals ahead 4-2.
Merrifield’s homer in the sixth to made it 6-2. Hunter Dozier, who stopped an 0-for-21 slide with a single in the second, added an RBI single later in the sixth.
Boston’s Rafael Devers hit his 18th home run of the season in the eighth, a drive off Carlos Hernández.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: Catcher Kevin Plawecki left in the fourth inning because of left hamstring tightness. … Second baseman Christian Arroyo exited in the fifth because of a right shinbone bruise after sliding awkwardly to avoid a collision with Kiké Hernández on a fly ball in shallow center.
Royals: Catcher Cam Gallagher (right shoulder impingement syndrome) was placed on the 10-day injured list. Kansas City recalled Sebastian Rivero from Triple-A Omaha.
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